Improvement in dies for forming hats



UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEreE.

ROBERT T. YILDE AND SAMUEL H. LYON, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

liliPROVEh/IENT IN DIES FOP. FORWHNG HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

-Be it known that we, ROBERT T. WILBE and SAMUEL H. LYON, both of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dies for Pressing and Forming Hats; and we do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is aeentral section of a pair of dies constructed according to our invention, exhibiting the upper die raised preparatory to the introduction of the material between them. Fig. 2 isa similar section exhibiting the upper die as having been brought down to form the hat. Fig. 3 exhibits a pair of dies constructed according to the patent of XV. Osborn, granted August 19, 1856, and reissued. February 17, 1857, and again reissued to M. J. Osborn, March 27, 1860.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

This invention relates to dies which form the whole of a hat at one operation. The dies heretofore constructed and extensively used for that purpose under the aforesaid patent of Osborn have had that portion of the upper die which operates to produce the brim of the hat so constructed as to press upon the whole of the upper surface of the brim. The pressure upon the whole of said surface is objectionable in the manufacture of felt hats, for the reason that owing to the said die being heated the shellae solution which is used to stiffen the hatis thereby caused to stick down and partially glaze the surface fibers, and so spoil the appearance of the said surface,whieh in some styles of hat is the only part of the brim exposed to view.

T. Bracher obtained Letters Patent` dated December 3, 1861, for the substitution of a stretcher for the upper die, such stretcher be ing a mere frame and incapable of being heated. Practical experience, however, leads us to prefer the upper die, and in order to obviate the aboveementioned objection to its use, our improvement consists in so constructing the face of the aforesaid portion of the upper die that it only touches the brim close to its junction with the sides of the crown and at its 36,927.. dated November 1l, 1362.

extreme outer edge, but that it applies or contines the heat over the whole upper surface.

'To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

A represents the lower die, and B the upper die. C is the piece of felt of which a hat is to be made, and D the hat, both shown in red color. Both of the dies may beheated by any suitable means.

We construct the lower die in the usual 1nanner-that is to say, with its exterior of a form the exact counterpart of that desired for the interior and under side of thebrim of the hat, and we also construct the upper die with an opening ofthe size and form of the exterior of the lower part of the crown of the hat and otherwise of the usual manner, except that instead of making the under surface of the portion b,whieh operates to form the brim, an exact counterpart of the corresponding surface,c,of the lower die, as shown in Fig. 3,we construct the said portion b with a cavity, c, which makes it present only a narrow surface, c, to press upon the brim, and this surface acts close to the junction of the brim with the sides.

Te construct the marginal portionf of our improved die in such a manner that it slips over the sides ofthe lower portion of the lower die and draws down the margin of the felt tightly over the edges of the surface c, as in the old die; but as the margin of the felt which is subject to the direct contact of the said marginal portion of the die is trimmed olf in finishing the hat, or if not entirely trimmed off is covered by a binding, the glazing effect of the die upon it is not xnaterial. The portion of the brim with which the surface@ comes in contact is so narrow that the glazing produced will be concealed by the band of the hat. The remainder of the upper surface of the brim being under the cavity c is not touched by the die B, but yet is closely confined, and has the atmosphere excluded from it during thepressing and forming operation, and is subject to the heat radiated from the said die, or if the said die should not be separately heated it confines the heat obtained from the lower die, in either case aiding in producing a sott surface on the upper face of the brim.

The invention is applicable with greater' or less advantage to the pressing of hats of other cavity, c, so formed in its face that it acts material than felt. upon the upper surface of the brim of the hat Ve do not claim the use of an upper and only close to the sides ofthe crown and at the lower die to press and l'orin a hat at one margin thereof, but yet confines the heat to the operation, as that is claimed in the patent of said surface, substantially as and for the pur- Osborn; nor do We claim the substitution for pose herein specied.

the upper die of a stretcher, such as is claimed R. T. W'ILDE.

by Braeher; but S. H. LYON.

Vhat We claim as our invention, and desire Witnesses:

to secure by Letters Patent, is- HENRY T. BROWN,

The construction of the upper die with a O. D. MUNN. 

